Grounding For Emotional Crisis

What is Grounding?

Grounding is a therapeutic technique you can use to navigate intense emotional situations, like heightened anxiety, panic, anger, extreme sadness, urges for self-harm, impulse to binge, or episodes of dissociation. Grounding helps to interrupt these heightened emotions and reconnect you to the present moment. During an acute emotional crisis, you might not feel safe to yourself or others because your emotional responses are in overdrive, and accessing rational thinking becomes challenging. The primary objective of grounding is to activate your prefrontal cortex, which houses your rational thinking, while calming your amygdala, which governs your emotions.

What about other mindfulness techniques?

Conventional mindfulness practices like meditation may not effectively engage our rational mind when our brain is stuck in a fight-flight-or freeze state. To prevent continued engagement of your emotional mind, the simpler the technique, the more effective.

Here are examples of several grounding techniques you can use during an emotional crisis to bring you into the present and keep you safe.

1. STOP technique (Stop, Take 3 breaths, Observe, Proceed): When you find yourself emotionally unregulated, Stop what you are doing, Take 3 breaths, Observe your surrounding (engage the senses—what do you see, hear, smell, taste, touch), Observe your thoughts and your emotions; When you’re ready Proceed with kindness towards yourself and others.

2. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1: Name 5 things you can see. Name 4 things you can touch. Name 3 things you can hear. Name 2 things you can smell. Name 1 thing you can taste. Say these out loud if you can.

3. Reach for something sour or bitter: Have a small piece of dark chocolate (bitter) or a citrus fruit (sour). When we consume bitter and sour foods, our brains are momentarily distracted by an intense taste, diverting the mind from the emotional event that is occurring.

4. Rescue breath:Inhale deeply and fill the lungs with fresh oxygen. Now, as if you were slowly blowing out candles on a birthday cake, exhale slowly through the mouth. Take 3 normal breaths, and repeat.

5. Diaphragmatic breathing: Put your hands on your abdomen. Inhale and really exaggerate the expansion of your abdomen. Exhale and really squeeze your abdomen in. Moving the diaphragm provides a mechanical effort of bringing blood back to your core from your extremities. Not only are you getting an increase in oxygen which helps shift your body into a parasympathetic state, but the mechanical recall of blood back to the core is another way the body assess that it is safe.

6. Observe and describe this moment: Where am I? What day is it? What time is it? Who am I with? Say these out loud if you can.

7. Mammalian dive reflex: Reserve this technique for more intense crises. This reflex is present in all mammals and is initiated by cold water exposure to the chest or face. It allows the body to shift into a parasympathetic state (rest & digest) to conserve energy.

8. Hold an ice cube: Reserve this technique for more intense crises. Hold an ice cube in your hand and let it melt to your tolerance. This technique helps jolt the nervous system by acutely activating a "pain-like" response that causes your neurotransmitters to refocus.

I always tell my patients it’s best to try a few of these techniques out when you’re in a relaxed state to really get the hang of it and figure out what works for you. I encourage you to make note of the techniques that work best you and have them on hand. Some of these techniques are more involved than others, so practicing and having knowledge of what each technique requires allows them to better serve you in the event of an emotional crisis.

You made it to the end! Thanks for reading and sticking around. If you found this information helpful and are interested in naturopathic tele-health care for mental health and overall wellbeing, book your Free 15 minute discovery call today!

Schedule My Call Now!

As always, Take good care.

Love,

Dr. Janki Dalal

Disclaimer: The information contained in this blog is NOT personal medical advice. This material is purely for educational purposes and is not a substitution for a proper medical diagnosis and treatment. Please consult with your doctor before implementing any new treatments.